otto's war room banner

Wednesday, June 02, 2010

Lori Berenson, US political prisoner jailed in Peru, is now free

On May 25, 2010 a Peruvian judge, after carefully studying Lori Berenson 's application for what in Perú is termed "conditional liberty" (parole), determined that Lori has earned her freedom. Lori and her son Salvador will be leaving prison in a few days and moving to an apartment in LimaOn November 30, 1995 Lori Berenson was arrested on a public bus in downtown Lima, accused of leading an insurgent organization, the MRTA. A hooded military tribunal, using antiterrorism legislation promulgated during a state of emergency, sentenced her to life for "treason against the fatherland." Four-and-a half years later, due to international pressure, her sentence was vacated and she was retried by a civilian court under the same antiterrorism legislation. She presently is serving a 20-year sentence for collaboration.In April 2002, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights declared that Lori Berenson was tried twice under illegal anti-terrorism laws that failed to comply with international standards and violated her rights to due process. The Commission further declared that Perú failed to demonstrate proof in its conviction of Lori Berenson and ruled that her rights be fully restored and that Perú must completely amend its illegal anti-terrorism laws. Because Perú refused to comply with the Commission's recommendations, the Commission brought Lori Berenson's case questioning the antiterrorism legislation before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights where it now awaits decision.

Otto's Books

Books

Featured Post

By Chris Otto, from A Blue Collar View : I ​was speaking to a woman the other day, when she brought up the latest round of Black Live...

Webstats

Gonzo Journalism

RED DE BLOGS COMUNISTAS

The cost of maintaining US Imperialism is high!

No other country in the world puts as much of its budget into the military as the US. This country is the top imperialist power in the world today and that is costing us a lot of resources that are badly needed elsewhere.